Oral health and whole body health are intertwined.
That might not seem like a radical concept, but it’s one that was largely forgotten in mainstream dentistry until relatively recently. Now, even the National Institutes of Health includes it in its reporting on Americans’ oral health needs.
Yet too many dentists continue to rely on materials like the mercury amalgam used to make “silver” fillings, ignoring their potential impact on overall health. Prevention consists mostly of trying to limit the damage of poor hygiene and diet with other risky materials, such as fluoride and sealants that contain BPA.
All too often, dentists seem to stay put in the role of a mouth mechanic, whose main job is to fix diseased and damaged teeth and gums, or improve the look and function of a smile. And they do these things very, very well. It’s just a very limited vision that doesn’t fully respect the mouth/body connection.
Biological dentistry does.
In fact, it evolved from the very real need to restore that respect. Because the mouth and all its structures are physically and energetically connected with the rest of the body, what happens in the mouth can and does have effects far beyond it.
So as a biological dental practice, we make sure that everything we do – every material we use, every technique we employ – is biocompatible. Our office is fluoride-free and mercury-free. When someone comes to us to have their old amalgam fillings replaced, we follow strict protocols to minimize exposure to mercury vapor during the procedure.
We also incorporate therapies that tap into the body’s self-regulating abilities to promote faster, better healing – things like medical-grade ozone, lasers, and platelet rich fibrin (PRF). We combine the best of what modern clinical dentistry has to offer with traditional healing therapies such as nutrition, herbal medicine, and energy medicine, gently and efficiently giving mouth and body what they need to heal and thrive.
This is especially important in cases where past dental work has affected overall health, including hidden sources of infection such as root canal teeth and cavitations (areas of dead and decaying tissue that often develop in old extraction sites).
The ideal, of course, is to not need treatment at all. While we can certainly repair all kinds of oral damage, nothing can compare to your natural teeth and gums.
So prevention is where we start and what we consistently emphasize. We focus on diet and nutrition, oral hygiene, and making the kind of positive lifestyle habits that are essential for good oral and whole body health alike. The best defense, they say, is a good offense, and we encourage each of our patients to take an active, dynamic role in providing it.
We respect our patients as authors of their own health and well-being. Indeed, the desire to take ownership of your health is one of the things that brings so many people like you through our doors in the first place.
More, we understand that each person who comes to us is a whole individual, body, mind, and spirit. While, obviously, there’s much that we have in common with each other, each of us is also uniquely shaped by our inner constitution, outer environment, and everyday behaviors.
As a biological practice, we treat people, not patients. Every treatment plan is customized to each individual’s needs.
Perhaps things will change, but for now, the kind of dentistry we’ve been describing here isn’t the kind that’s taught in today’s dental school, with its more limited scope. Holistically-minded biological dentists like our own Dr. Montgomery must pursue this extra education and training on their own. In her case, that pursuit has led to certifications in naturopathic medicine so she can provide the best, most expansive oral health care to her patients.
Dr. Montgomery believes that each person who entrusts her with their dental care deserves no less.